Vaccine and Immunity - Essay Example

The paper "Vaccine and Immunity" is a worthy example of an essay on medical science. Immunity refers to the ability of the human body to tolerate the invasion of the pathogen and finally eliminate it from the body. Antibodies are the main basic unit that carries out the function of fighting and naturally eliminating the pathogen from the body. Antibodies detect the pathogens through foreign molecules on the pathogens’ surface. After this, antibodies attach to pathogens surface to execute actions against the pathogen. Antibodies act against pathogen invasion through various processes including the opsonization, neutralization, complement activation, and receptor-mediated cell activation (Long, Larry and Charles 617). Through these actions, the antibodies eliminate pathogens and neutralize pathogen toxins. The action is important in protecting the body from diseases that a person may have had before. Antibodies protect the body through passive or active immunity.

The formation of vaccines involves the attenuation of pathogens. Vaccine formation may involve the use of the whole organism like influenza or part of the organism like tetanus bacteria (MacPherson and Jon 95). The introduction of these attenuated or killed pathogens causes antibodies to react against them. However, the production of the most effective immune system depends on live antigens. At this point, the weakened pathogens cannot cause any disease hence function only to cause activation of the immune system. They can trigger the immune system because they contain antigens that activate B and T cells (Chiras 46). Memory cells then store futures of the pathogen for future reference. If a live pathogen causing the disease invades in the future, the body reacts by fast mobilization specific antibodies against the pathogen through the help of memory cells. The elimination of the pathogen in real infection becomes fast after the previous encounter. The action of the immune system ensures elimination of pathogens from the body without much replication. Through this mechanism, vaccines induce active immunity against pathogens such as measles and poliomyelitis viruses. Read More